The Forgotten Hero of Time
by Shadow Hylian
Summary: An alternate timeline to Ocarina of Time. Seven years after Link was sent back to relive his childhood, he is attacked by Hylian Knights for playing the song of the Royal Family. He is imprisoned, but finds help from the most unlikely of people.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda.

Author: This story is based on an alternate timeline of Ocarina of Time after Link has been sent back to relive his childhood. The story begins several years after this, so Link is an adult again but he and the rest of the characters in the game do not remember the past events that took place.

* * *

The Forgotten Hero of Time

A young man was sitting under the shadow of a tree near the stream that flowed throughout the land. The youth was called Link and anyone who saw him and saw his strange attire would also notice that he was from the forest. Link had been sitting in that same spot for a while now; he was playing the fairy ocarina that his friend Saria had gave him a long time ago after a very difficult day.

Even though he was a Hylian, Link grew up in the forest under the protection of the Guardian Spirit, The Deku Tree and along with the Children of the Forest, the Kokiri, who are eternally young and have a guardian fairy with them at all times. It was because Link did not have a fairy that his life in the forest was so difficult. The Kokiri believed that he was one of them, but his lack of a fairy meant that he was seen as different by the other children and was picked on because of this. Saria, however, was sympathetic. She believed that there was a reason that Link was different and often told him this, hoping that it would take his mind off his troubles.

Link remembered asking the Deku Tree why he didn't have a fairy and why he was growing taller than the other children in the forest. It was then that the Deku Tree told Link that he was not a Kokiri, but a Hylian that was brought to the forest by his gravely wounded mother who hoped that he would be protected by the Guardian Spirit and remain safe from the war that was raging throught the land. The Deku Tree had told him that he was welcome to stay if he wanted to but Link decided that it would be better to leave.

The sound of horses approaching from a distance brought him out of his thoughts and he began to play a few notes on the ocarina. The notes became a song that he had known since as long as he could remember, but was not sure where he had heard it before. The Song was calm and soothing and it seemed to take his mind off things, so he was not concerned when the two knights on horses that he heard earlier approached where he was sitting.

However, the horses stopped right in front of him and the two men dismounted beside him.

"Where did you learn that song?" The first man asked sharply and rather aggressively.

"I don't know; I've known it for as long as I can remember" Link replied looking a little puzzled.

"Don't lie!" the man shrieked at him, raised his hand and hit Link forcefully with the back of his hand, the knight's sharp metal gauntlets making large gashes in Link's face "Only those who serve the royal family may learn that song. Where did you learn it!" he repeated seizing Link, forcing him to his feet and slamming him into the tree.

Link began to explain to the knight, but before he could, the man struck him again. Link glared at him, the long scratches on his face were throbbing, blood was dripping down his neck. He had no idea why these men were attacking him or what was wrong with playing a song, but he knew by the menacing stares that they were giving him that he was in very serious trouble. The knight took out his sword with a nasty sneer on his face, held it just above the hilt and slammed the sharp metal handle into Link's head with etreme force.

The last thing Link recalled was the sound of himself screaming in agony and falling to the ground before he blacked out.

* * *

When Link regained consciousness, he realised that he was no longer in Hyrule field. As he came round, he noticed that he was in a prison cell, that his hands and feet were bound and that the cell seemed to be underground, judging by the cold damp walls and the water that was dripping down them. Link also became aware of an sharp, searing pain in the back of his head which he guessed was due to the heavy blow he was dealt by the hilt of the knight's sword. 

Link listened intently, he had just heard the sound of approaching footsteps coming down, what he assumed to be a stairwell, into the small dungeon. A guard entered to the left of his vison sending him a sour look once he noticed that Link had awoken.

"Oh, you're awake are you?" he said disdainfully. "You're in deep trouble, brat. The King is on his way to see you, if you're lucky you'll only get a few hours of lashings..." smirking darkly, the guard left his statement hanging, allowing Link's mind to wander. Standing up shakily he followed the burly male, fearing for his life at the hands of this..._King_.

When Link followed the guard into the large, square room, he was afraid of what he might see. The room gave off a distinct feel of authority and power: an intimidating combination. Link saw three figures: two bulky and heavily armoured knights and a short, plump man with white hair and rather short, stumpy legs who was wearing a red robe with a large fur trim and an expression of great distaste, whom Link presumed was the King of Hyrule. The severity of the situation was broken when Link was rather amused by the King's short stature and foolish appearance: he had been expecting a tall, stern man and was trying hastily to stifle his sniggers. Link was brought back to reality when the guard leading him jerked his handcuffs sharply which caused Link to stumble and fall to his knees, his kneecaps slamming onto the hard stone floor and Link grunting in pain.

The door opened and a distraction came in the form of the Princess Zelda, who was flanked by another set of guards, though Link, who was still on the floor in pain, did not see her.

Link then felt a dull burning pain on the back of his left hand which grew steadiliy more painful every second. He removed his left gauntlet and examined the Triforce mark on the back of his hand which was glowing brightly with wonder.

The Princess, who was walking towards her father, stopped in her tracks when she felt a sharp pain in her right hand. when she looked at her hand she noticed that her Triforce mark was glowing brightly through her glove.

"My Triforce is resonating..." Zelda stated with curiosity. She gasped as her Triforce mark throbbed, the pain increasing quickly. The Princess began to look at the people in the room, searching for the person from whom she was under threat and her eyes fell on the green-clad youth who had now gotten to his feet. Zelda walked over to the guard who had Link chained and looked upon him.

"Show me the backs of his hands" She demanded and the guard immediately seized Link's wrists and held them out for Zelda to examine. On the back of his ungloved left hand was a symbol depicting three triangles; two side by side and one balancing on top of the others. The symbol was glowing brightly, but the bottom right triangle was radiating so intensely that it was visible from a hundred or so yards.

The Princess was looking rather concerned and turned towards the King. "Father, I do not trust him." she stated. "Look at the mark on his left hand" she added when the King looked at her with a questioning look on his face.

"Now is not the time to listen to your tales" the King replied in a dissaproving voice "We are supposed to be deciding this boy's punishment."

"What punishment? What crime did he commit?" Zelda interrupted. Link looked at the King and listened intently; he was quite keen to learn why he was assalted and then detained for no apparent reason.

"He was found playing the Song of the Royal family on his ocarina in Hyrule Field" the king replied.

Link felt his jaw drop. He was sent to jail and going to be punished just for playing a song on an ocarina? Link didn't understand why playing that song was forbidden. The King was indeed very harsh.

"We'll decide his punishment in a few days" The King informed the guards "Take him back to his cell."

As Link was lead out of the room, he saw the very worried expression on the King's face who was watching him being led out which left Link wondering why everyone was looking so worried and...afraid.

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Author: I'm not very sure how to continue this story so it may take some time to be updated as the alternate timeline may be difficult to explain in later chapters. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda

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Chapter two

It was was well past midnight, but Link, who was sitting contemplating his fate in his grubby little cell, could not sleep. His thoughts were reeling after the day's events. Why did the symbol on the back of his hand make everyone so uncomfortable? Why was playing that song forbidden?

Soft footsteps alerted him to someone approaching his cell and he was surprized when Princess Zelda walked into the dungeon. She cast a quick glance at the guard to check he was asleep, then walked towards Link's cell. He noticed that she wore a frightened expression on her face as if she expected him to suddenly attack. She was also carrying a large book with her written in the ancient Hylian language, which she opened and showed him a picture of three golden triangles: each part seemed to be revolving and eminating a bright glow.

"This is the same mark you bear on the back of your hand. The Triforce mark you bear identifies you as one of those chosen by destiny" she said tapping the page lightly. "If I am correct, you hold the Power of Courage."

"What do you mean? What power?" Link asked

Zelda could not belive it. If her theory was correct, he was the Legendary Hero of Time form Hylian lore who held the Triforce of Courage, yet he did not know his legend or anything about the relic which bound the three chosen by destiny.

If she was right, Link was not a threat. Only Power desires to rule over Wisdom and Courage.

"You really don't know the legends?" Zelda asked unbelievingly. Link shook his head. "Well, the Triforce is an ancient relic left by the three godesses and resides in the Sacred Realm. Each part, Power, Wisdom and Courage, represent the godesses power. The legend goes that those who are chosen by destiny hold a part of the Triforce and are identified by the symbol on the back of their hand. The true Triforce can only be summoned when those who seek it gather each Triforce piece or when the three chosen by destiny combine their power."

Link was not listening, he had lost interest the minute the word "legends" was mentioned. "Legend" translated as "history" and "history" was boring. Anyway, how could he be some legendary hero? The whole idea was ridiculous.

"_That's_ why everyone was worried!" Zelda raised her voice and slammed the book shut, aware of his unfocused eyes and glazed expression. "They assumed you were seeking the Triforce and when the knight found you playing the song of the royal family, he assumed that you were trying to sneak into the castle to find out more about the legend and assasinate me!"

The truth hit Link hard. They thought he was going to kill the Princess?

_"What?" Link yelled "Why would I want to kill you?"_

"Well..." Zelda began. She paused for several seconds and Link noticed that she seemed to be choosing her words very carefully "The only way to extract a piece of the Triforce from the one its power resides in, is to seriously maim or kill them." She explained, walking slowly towards the stairway. "The song is only taught to those inside the castle to act as proof that they are connected to the Royal family. That's why you will be punished most severely, even if you are not seeking the Triforce" She said quietly before turning walking out of the dungeon.

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A/N: Feedback is appreciated, so review please. The next chapter should be updated fairly quickly as it is already partially written. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda

A/N: The first section of this chapter is in Zelda's P.O.V. The remainder of the chapter switches between 3rd person narrative and various people's point of view.

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

* * *

Chapter 3

I stand at my balcony and look out to the stars, trying to find some reason why these events are happening. To try and make sense of the situation. Why didn't my father believe that he was of no threat to me or Hyrule? The terrible sounds that have echoed from the dungeons over the last few days have haunted my dreams. I clamp my hands over my ears as that awful sound once again enters my mind.

_The sound of leather striking against skin and a man screaming._

The tears that welled in my eyes stream down my face; I never knew such brutal punishments still existed within the castle; or that my father would allow such behaviour towards an innocent man. I am sure he is not to blame for the crime he is accused, yet I do not know why I am so trusting of this stranger; the one who bears Courage. Even though he watched me with a glacial stare, there was something in his cerulean blue eyes that was so familiar. It was almost as if he was part of a distant memory that I had long forgotten…

* * *

Link sat on the hard stone floor of his cell, his arms shielding his suspected broken ribs on his bruised and wounded right side; his breathing uneven and shallow. His face also bore marks of recent injury with half - healed bruises tingeing his jaw a greenish brown which mingled with the fresh cuts and wounds around his eyes and mouth, blood dripping down his chin - the results of yesterday's "punishment". 

Link had discovered that his punishment consisted of being thrown into a room with his wrists bound to be kicked and beaten repeatedly until he was barely able to stand, then strapped to an upright wooden board and whipped raw with a thick leather strap for several hours.

It had changed his opinion of the Royal Family drastically.

There was a metallic clicking noise as the guard unlocked Link's cell. The guard seized Link roughly by the heavy manacles that bound his wrists and dragged him down the hall, into a large chamber. As Link took a closer look around, he noticed that a tall, muscular man stood at the back of the room, half - hidden in the shadows.

"The filthy criminal's ready for you now" the guard leading Link spoke to the man in the shadows, "I don't think you're being hard enough on him; he was still able to put up a fight yesterday" he added. The man rasped an indistinguishable reply and grinned towards Link in a sinister sort of way that looked more like a leer. The man waited until the guard had walked out of the room and locked the door before he approached Link.

"So you're still refusing to admit your crimes, then?" The man hissed at him. Link began to answer him back, but the man kicked him hard in the back and he fell to the ground, his hands that he had outstretched to break his fall were grazed and cut. "you still insist that you have not done anything wrong?" the man continued, plainly enjoying tormenting his captive. Link glared at the man grinding his teeth to stop himself from retaliating. Why was he being punished so aggressively even though he had not done anything to be guilty of?

The man had noticed the enraged expression on Link's face and attacked him again, taking care to kick him hard on his wounded right side, which left Link screaming in agony and gasping for breath. The man merely laughed at the sight of Link in pain, and he took the oppurtunity to drag Link to his feet and throw him into the wall. Link grimaced in pain as his back collided with the rough stone wall, the cut and scarred skin on his back searing in pain. The man beat Link repeatedly only stopping to taunt him further, until Link was struggling to stay standing.

"You still defy your punishment? Your courage is to be comended" he said with a sneer. The man seemed to be growing short tempered with Link's resistence, the expression of great distaste he was wearing hardened so that anger and dislike were etched even deeper onto his face. Link knew that look well, as it nearly always resulted in him being beaten more violently. He was determined to stay standing, even if it required all the strength he had left. He would not run away or beg for mercy like a coward, but stand and face the man before him.

* * *

(The next morning)

I stepped into the shadows of the dark dungeon, to look at the man before me. He was barely conscious and, from what I could see, badly wounded. There were large gashes on his face from which blood was steadily dripping from, the parts of his face I could see were bruised and swollen. The way he was clenching his teeth and wincing slightly every time he moved, gave the impression that he was in considerable pain. He seemed to notice that I was there, as he lifted his head and opened his eyes to peer blearily at me a curious expression on his face.

White hot anger flooded my senses.This was the fate of the Hero of Hyrule? To be beaten and flogged everyday for simply playing a stupid song?! How disgusting.

"This is what happens when you follow the light. This is what happens when you risk your life for the people of this land. _This_ is how they repay you." I spoke to him, trying not to let my anger show through. It could frighten him and we need him on our side.

"Who...who are you?" he said in a somewhat half-hearted attempt to sound intimidating. The effect was diminished slightly as he had to pause to catch his breath, "and what do you mean...'this is how they repay you'?" he added in a voice thick with supressed anger.

"Well... you could say I'm you. The dark side of you, to be exact." and I step forward into the light coming from the high windows so that he could see my face. The look on his face was priceless. "And what I mean will be revealed shortly."

* * *

The man who had been speaking from the shadow stepped forward slowly. He seemed to made compleatly of darkness, thick whisps of vapour that took the form of a Hylian male wearing a copy of my outfit: a pointed hat and a black Kokiri tunic, his gleaming blood-red eyes contrasting with his dark skin. 'My...face? What? How could...he look so much like me? It can't be possible.' The man seemed to exactly like me except for those red eyes that radiated hatred. 'What the hell is he?! To have such cold eyes...' The man seemed to realise what I was thinking as he spoke up quickly: 

"I am Dark Link. I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time"

'Dark Link?! He has the same name?' I stared at Dark Link disbelievingly, utterly confused. How could I have a dark version of myself? 'What is he talking about?'

"I warned you this would happen eventually. About this path you have chosen. To be called upon to save the land and then to be forgotten about compleately when you're task is done." he spoke sternly, "The Godesses used you, just like every other Hero in Hyrule's history!".

When I continued to look completely confused, the 'Dark Me' seemed to think things over.

"You...don't know?" he asked uncertainly. When I did not answer he laughed grimly, "You see, Hero? The Godesses wiped your memory!" Dark Link spat angrily, "No one was meant to remember you or your accomplishments, you were destined to be forgotten!"

"What the hell do you mean?" I shout at him, beginning to lose control of my temper. "What do you mean I was destined to be forgotten?"

"The Princess sent you back through time seven years, returning you to your original child-self. You were supposed to recall everything that had happened, but the Godesses intervened..." Dark Link paused for a few seconds, almost as if he was contemplating what to say next, before continuing quietly-though bitterly- "...you were meant to be lost in legend, dismissed as a myth and forgotten through time. The book that the Princess showed you was meant to be the only record of your adventures."

"How...how do you know that?" I ask, completely stunned by what I was hearing.

"I've been watching you for a while." Dark Link said simply, "You met me in the Water Temple before time had been reversed"

I wasen't sure what was going on, could this realy have happened? If it did what would have happ-...a thought came into my head.

"What happened to you? If you're the dark side of me, weren't you meant to forget everything as well?" I asked curiously but, after seeing the expression on Dark Link's face, I froze. He was wearing an expression of absolute fury; his red eyes seemed to gleam even brighter as his anger grew, his face contorted with rage, and when he spoke, his voice was full of supressed anger.

"I was not meant to live, I am your hatered given physical form in order to allow you to remain pure. The Godesses intended to destroy me once you had sealed Ganondorf in the evil Realm, but because you and I were once as one I was able to fuse with your shadow after you defeated me.'

"Just before you replaced the Master Sword in its pedestal, I broke away and hid in the darkest corner of the temple. The Temple of Time was unaffected by the journey back to the past so I, in turn, was safe from its grasp. I survived by hiding in the shadows in the chamber. The door was firmly shut but, by using the shadows, I was able to flitt through the chamber's thick marble walls. I was able to survive as long as I stayed in the dark areas during daylight, so I headed to the Shadow Temple to regain some of my former strength, and it was there that I met another like myself. Another shadow from Hyrule's erased past, the Dark One: Sheik."

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A/N: I had to re-work the chapter as the plot has been altered slightly. There is a reason for Both Dark Link and Sheik appearing, which will be explained next chapter. Feedback is appreciated, so review please. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda.

Shadow Hylian: I'd like to clarify a few points. Firstly, Link is 17 in this fic and has a mental age of 17. At the end of Ocarina of Time, he is sent back 7 years into the past. This fic takes place 7 years after he is sent back, so he is 17 again. Link is going to speak in this fic, as I find writing fics with a mute Link difficult - especially he does not respond to the other characters. However, rest assured that I will keep his dialogue to a minimum.

This is not a very important point, but one I should answer anyway. This may be difficult to explain due to the alternate timelines, but bear with me. The Deku tree didn't die as, when Link returned to his original time, he returned to the very beginning of his adventure in this fic (before the Deku tree dungeon). Ganondorf was sealed in the Evil Realm for all eternity and Link was sent back to the past, erasing the previous timeline. Technically, he would be sealed from the beginning of the new timeline so he didn't put the death curse on the Deku tree.

Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed my fic. Your comments are very much appreciated, and I'm glad that people are enjoying it so far.

A/N: Sheik is male in this fic.

"speech"

'thoughts'

* * *

(Link's P.O.V)

Chapter 4

'Sheik? That name, it sounds so...familiar. What was the shadow talking about?! How could I know this person?' I thought, desperately trying to make sense of the situation.

"He was a part of the Princess Zelda; her Sheikah alter-ego that she used to evade Ganondorf" Dark Link continued, "However, when you were sent back to the past, Sheik was split from the princess. The princess made a fatal mistake when creating the guise of Sheik; she miscalculated the amount of magical power required for the transformation and used far too much. She not only created an alter-ego: she created a seperate entity altogether."

"He's a part of the princess?! How can that be?!" I ask, completely astonished.

"Quite simple, really. You see, when you and the princess sealed Ganondorf away, the Godesses decided that Sheik no longer needed to exsist. He was another soul that they had sentenced to death.

"He is a fragmented part of the Princess Zelda's mind, a mere shadow like myself. He was greatly weakened when he was torn from Zelda's soul, but was able to use some of his Sheikah magic to teleport himself to the Shadow Temple where he regained some of his former strenght, drawing his power from the darkness..."

'He's part of Zelda's mind?! What the hell did she do?! How could that happen?!' A frantic tirade of thoughts flashed through my mind as Dark Link spoke. I was aware of the look on Dark Link's face as he told me these things; an expression of absolute hatred etched deeply into his face, his scarlet eyes glinting malevolently. The gaze was filled with such obvious ill intent, that I felt myself recoil slightly - any who dared move when Dark Link was wearing such a lethal expression surely had a death wish...

A woman's voice rang from the top of the stairwell into the dungeon. I whispered for Dark Link to run before they caught him, but he stood defiantly in place, staring intently at the staircase and seemed to be thinking of what to do.

I was about to tell him to run again, but I was silenced by that harsh gaze. The noise of a door opening, followed by the noise of a heavy metal door sliding open reached my ears, then the sound of light footsteps slowly descending the stairs...

Dark Link saw the anxious look on my face, and he grinned slightly. "What's wrong? Is the Hero, whose courage is legendary, afraid?" he mocked evidently enjoying my torment. He again focused his gaze on the staircase, where a female figure was descending the stairs...

* * *

(Dark Link's P.O.V) 

In that split-second when our eyes met, anger flared inside me, I seemed to lose track of all rational thought as fury raged inside my head. I could feel myself shaking, hatred bubbling from within my dark heart as I struggled to control the violent emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. It was..._her_. The one who had caused all of our problems, that idiotic fool who thought she could control the power of the Godesses: the Princess Zelda.

I noticed the terrified expression on Zelda's face, and Link hastily backing away from me as my anger continued to spiral out of control. I saw her eyes dart from Link to myself and back again, as though she was trying to believe what she was seeing. She fixed me with a suspicious glare before she yelled.

"Guards!" She shouted quickly, "Guards, seize him!" she screeched again as two large and heavily armoured soliders entered the dungeon, and headed towards us, however, they hesitated when they saw me. Suddenly, I realised that they were the guards that I had seen beating Link far more severely than was necessary. I turned to Link, who bore the marks of their punishment and my anger increased. The image of Link, the Hero of the land, being voilently beaten, barely able to stand, but still facing his attacker, flashed from the back of my mind. No matter how much courage and strenght Link posseses or how vengeful I am, we are in no position to fight our way out of the castle - even if we tried to run, we'd attract too much attention.

I reach into the small, leather pouch attached to my belt and withdraw a small Deku nut from it disdainfully. Unlike regular Deku nuts, this one glowed a faint yellow, as it was enfused with Sheikah magic. I scrutinised the small object sceptically; Sheik gave me them incase I needed a quick escape, told me to concentrate on where I wanted to teleport to and throw it at the ground to teleport to safety. Sheik seemed pretty confident that they'd work, but I was doubtful that such a small object had the ability to transport me anywhere in Hyrule. I grabbed Link, supporting his semi-conscious body, raised the Deku nut above my head and focused my mind on my destination. 'Here goes nothing' I though before throwing it to the ground, a blinding flash of light and a loud snapping noise as the nut made contact.

A split-second later, we found ourselves in the middle of Hyrule field, the sky tinted a light orange colour as dawn approached. 'Impressive' I thought as I looked around the green plains. Link shifted and clutched my shoulder as a support as he attempted to stand independantly, but he swayed off balance when trying to stand unaided. I pull out a bottled healing fairy and hand it to him: it would not fully heal him, but it would cure his wounds and regain his stamina. The effect on Link's health was immediate, he became more aware of his surroundings as he looked around thoughfully and handed back the bottle with a word of thanks. He paused for a moment before voicing his un-asked question.

"So, where do we go now? How will we avoid being caught by the guards?"

"Well, this might come in handy..." I say, handing Link the Royal family's tresure that I had stolen before I had gone to meet him in the dungeons, "...since it helped you out last time." The confused look on Link's face was slightly worrying; he didn't seem to remember the ocarina at all. When Link continued to look blankly at the flute-like object, I explained what it was. The words "Ocarina of Time" didn't seem to stir any of his memories, nor did he give any indication that he knew how to play the thing.

"What do you mean it helped me out last time? What did I use it for?" Link asked while he examined it.

"When you woke from your seven-year sleep, you met Sheik in the Temple of Time. He told you the location of each temple and met you before you entered each one, giving useful words of wisdom and teaching you an ocarina song that would aid you in your quest..." I paused to see if there were any signs of recognition on his face, but I could not tell if Link remembered any of this - he seemed to be more interested in the stupid ocarina than listening to me. "It was an important factor in your adventure. I thought that it would allow you to remember the past!" I growl angrily, losing my patience at Link's unconcerned attitude. There are more important matters to be dealt with than that ocarina; we need to hurry and collect the last remaining shards ...

"How am I meant to use this to find Sheik?" Link asks abruptly, as if he does not believe that a musical instrument would be of any use to him.

"You'll need to work it out on for yourself, Hero." I grinned inwardly at the look of pure indignation on Link's face as I spoke. "See you later..."

* * *

(Link's P.O.V) 

A loud snapping noise rang out, followed by a bright flash of light as Dark Link dissapeared. 'How am I supposed to know where to go?!' I thought angrily as I began to walk across the field, however, a thought occured to me. 'Didn't Dark Link say that he met Sheik in the Shadow temple, maybe I'll find him there? Where is the shadow temple anyway?' I thought impatiently, still annoyed at Dark Link's lack of help. 'What is this ocarina for? How can a musical instrument help me find him?' I had no idea how to play the thing, or where to go next. I turned the oval-shaped object over in my hand and saw a small note attached to the back of the ocarina, where scrawled writing read:

_Learn the song that leads you to the Shadow Temple: the song that draws you into the infinite darkness that consumes even time. You'll need the eye that can see the truth once you find the temple, unless you like unexpected surprises. _

'The song that consumes even time...where am I supposed to learn that?' I think, looking around the field. 'the eye that can see the truth...' I think to myself as I begin to walk towards Kakariko Village, 'a truth-seeing lens?' I thought, wondering where I could find such an item...

* * *

After searching Kakariko aimlessly and with little success, I headed towards the house sitting on the hill where a guard was standing outside. However, I noticed an old man in a blue cloak standing in front of the building, who was watching the windmill with a mixed expression of curiosity and anguish. He seemed knowledgeable and he looked like he might know where to find a seeing lens, so I approached him and asked him my question. 

"There used to be a man who could see the truth. Usually you have to train your mind most strenuously to be able to actually see the truth, but this man had a different way. His house stood where the well is now..." He offered helpfully, gesturing towards the well near the base of the windmill. I thanked him and headed in the direction that he had indicated.

As I approached the well and looked over the edge, I noticed that it was much deeper than I had expected. A small metal ladder was mounted on the stone wall, which allowed a fairly easy descent to the bottom of the well. I leaned over the edge and began to climb down the ladder, below the foundations of the windmill.

When I had reached the bottom and began to walk around, I noticed that there were many spirits and strange creatures in the well that I could hear faintly whispering. I came across many corpses when I explored the narrow passages of the well, although these ones stirred when you got too close, let out a blood-curdling screech that paralysed you with fear and attempted to bite you, draining your life.

After walking into the main section of the passage, I entered a empty room, proceeding to the tresure chest at the back of it. However, six long skeletal arms shot up from the ground, one of them capturing me in its grasp. A strange zombie-like creature emerged from underground and began to move steadily towards me in a sinister way, while I frantically tried to escape. I managed to escape from the Dead Hand, moments before the beast came within biting range and retreated quickly, thinking of what to do. I only had a small blade that I always carried with me, but I didn't think it would be very effective against such a powerful creature.

I watched the being carefully as it slowly began to approach me again. I waited until it was close enough to strike with my sword, but not so close that it could do damage. The beast shifted to the side slightly and I was able to attack it, my sword cutting into the cold dead flesh. Again I repeated my attacks and at last the creature let out a shriek, falling to the floor as it was defeated. I made my way over to the tresure chest, opened it slowly and removed the small glass lens that was inside, the Sheikah eye symbol decorating it.

'Now I just need to find this ocarina song' I thought as I pocketed the truth-seeing lens and headed down the passages towards the exit.

_

* * *

_

'I wonder if Dark Link and Sheik will help me find the ocarina song' I though absently as I headed towards the graveyard at the back of Kakariko, a villager having told me that the entrance to the Shadow Temple was located there. The graveyard was empty apart from the occasional poe that was easily defeated. There was a large tombstone at the very back and two smaller ones on either side of it, a Triforce symbol on the ground next to it. However, I was more interested in the gravestone on the left hand side of the tomb which read: "The Composer Brothers. Sharp the Elder. R.I.P." As I looked more closely, a poe with a long curly moustache, wearing a square hat with a Triforce symbol on it and brandishing a conductor's baton appeared. After I had defeated it, the green spirit spoke to me.

"You...killed...me!" he said in a choked voice. When I asked who he was, he proclaimed "I am Sharp the Elder, one of the famous Composer Brothers."

"Well, if your a composer, would you happen to know the song that 'draws you into the infinite darkness that consumes even time'?" I ask, carefully watching him for any sign of recognition.

"The only place that draws you into infinite darkness would be the Shadow Temple" he said indicating the opening in the valley several feet above ground level just behind them, "you must mean the Nocturne of Shadow, a mystical song that transports you to the temple." When I said that this must be the song that I am looking for, I pull out the Ocarina of Time and hold it uncertainly as Sharp begins to teach me the song...

* * *

(Meanwhile...) 

Dark Link stood stony-faced and grinding his teeth in the main chamber of the Shadow Temple while Sheik played a melodic song on his lyre, giving only vague and mysterious answers when Dark Link spoke to him. After being subjected to several hours of this lyre-playing torment, Dark Link was trying to restrain himself from smashing the damn thing over the Sheikah's head.

"Do you think Link will take much longer to get here?" Dark Link asked the Sheikah impatiently, who continued playing as he responded.

"It is difficult to tell; we do not know how much he will be able to remember." he said pensively, "The influence of the past is difficult to determine, and it is even more unpredictable now that his past has been erased..." He strummed the lyre, playing a few notes. Dark Link had the distinct impression that Sheik was about to give a lenghty soliloquy and intervened quickly with another question.

"Have you collected the shards yet?"

"We do not know if he'll agree yet" Sheik responded evenly, "but I have managed to collect a few of them from various regions of Hyrule." he said, returning his attention to the lyre.

Dark Link was about to snatch the lyre from him, when a distraction appeared in the form of Link, who had just fell through the ceiling and landed on the cold stone floor with a crash. Evidently he had fallen from the floor above, into one of the invisible holes that are hidden throughout the temple.

"Link?" Dark Link spoke with a surprised expression, "Didn't you use your truth-seeing lens?" he grinned, trying not to laugh at Link, who was glaring angrily at him.

"I see what you meant by 'unexpected surprises' now" Link growled as he got to his feet. "Thanks for helping me out" he said bitterly, the sarcasm in his voice evident as he watched Dark Link resentfully.

"I figured you could work it out on your own." Dark Link said simply, "Do you really need me to lead you every step of the way?" he shot at Link, who did not answer. "Believe it or not, Hero, I have more important things to do than follow you about." Dark Link said in a deadly voice that barely concealed his anger.

Sheik, who Link had not noticed standing in the shadows, stopped playing his lyre and moved into view.

"We meet again, Hero of Time."

* * *

Shadow Hylian: Well, that's another chapter up. Reviews are apprieciated - the feedback helps me write better. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda.

Shadow Hylian: The majority of this chapter is in Link's P.O.V

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

* * *

(Link's P.O.V)

Chapter 5

The one who had been playing a melodic song on his harp-like instrument stepped out of the shadows. The Sheikah had a distinctly diminished appearance: his outline was blurred, giving the impression that he was not completely solid. This suspiscion was confirmed, when I noticed that his body was slightly transparent like a shadow. His one visible blood-red eye held a distant, almost disdainful expression. I noticed that the Sheikah eye of truth was branded on the front of his shirt, which made me suspect that there was an underlying significance to that symbol. He was wearing a form-fitting blue outfit and his forearms and fingers were bandaged. I found it difficult to believe that he had been Zelda's alter-ego, but what Dark Link had told me seemed to be true.

"I am Sheik" he said simply. He waited for several moments watching my reaction, as though he expected some sort of recognition. "It seems that you do not remember our encounters." he said, turning towards Dark Link and exchanging significant glances. 'What are they hiding from me?' I thought suspiciously.

"Well, if you do not remember meeting me...it is a possibility that you might able to recall some of the songs I taught you" he said slowly, ignoring Dark Link's protests and played a few hypnotic notes, which I recognised. It was the song that I had known for as long as I could remember. He noticed the expression of familiarity on my face and stopped playing the lyre.

"It seems that there is underlying fragments of the past timeline remaining in your mind, memories that only need to be awakened." he said slowly: he seemed to be considering how much to tell me.

"As you probably already know, I was the guise that the princess used to avoid capture by Ganondorf, the Gerudo King who sought the Sacred Triangle. However, I was no mere alter self. Because of the Princess Zelda's mistake when creating her disguise, I was created as a seperate person altogether who was able to think and act independantly." he said in an indifferent voice, as if he considered that his past was unimportant.

"I am sure that, by now, you should understand why the godesses meant to destroy both Dark Link and myself. The Godesses could not allow the living vessel of your hatred and the alter-ego of the princess to live." he said in a slightly muffled voice as he tried to suppress his anger. I suddenly realised that Dark Link's expression had changed rapidly: he was wearing a look of pure venom, anger seeming to radiate from his evil eyes. I sensed that there was deeply rooted resentment towards the Godesses from both Dark Link and Sheik...

"There is a task that we must appoint to to." Sheik said seriously, "If you complete the task successfully, it will prove that you are trustworthy." Sheik stated. He reached into a small pouch attached to his belt and withdrew a small golden fragment, which he held out for me to see. "This is a tiny fragment of what we are looking for. We need you to recover one of these shards and bring it back to us. If you can complete this task, then we will tell you the reason that we are collecting them." He said evenly, watching my expression. "However, we need you co-operation if you are to carry out this task." Sheik watched me expectantly, waiting for an answer, but I was hesistant to trust them. 'Why do they need my co-operation? Why won't they tell me why they are collecting those shards?' My curiosity was getting the better of me, but I was not foolish enough to take on the task because of that alone. Dark Link and Sheik seem to be trustworthy, but can I really believe what they are telling me?' I thought as I watched them carefully, before deciding to undertake the task.

When I accepted the task, Sheik spoke again. "We think that a shard is buried deep within the Lost Woods. The shard is located in that region, but we do not have any more specific details of its whereabouts. You can track down its exact location easier, so it shouldn't pose too much of a problem." he said simply.

"Is there a way to get to the Lost Woods quickly?" I ask Sheik, but it is Dark Link who answers me.

"Yes, Hero. It's called running."

* * *

(Sheik's P.O.V) 

I am sure that Link does not know the significance of that shard, but there is always the risk that he might turn against us once he realises what we are planning - especially if the shard reacts to his presence. That is why I must follow him, although he will not be aware that I am tailing him. It is more advantageous for him to think that we've given him a free reign to collect the shard at leisure; we can see how seriously he is taking this task.

I watched him go into the Lost Woods and began to follow him silently from the shadows, using the trees as cover. The Hero of Time grumbled as he stomped through the thick undergrowth, obviously annoyed that he had to walk such a distance just to find a shard. It was quite an amusing sight, really: he truly was a volatile being. As I watched him, I couldn't help but grin as he grimaced angrily and continued to wander through the forest, completely lost. He had already been in this area of the forest - I had noticed that ten minutes ago.

He continued to walk around aimlessly for a while, until I noticed that he was heading quickly towards where Dark Link had hidden the shard as if he was being led there by some unknown force. I swiftly moved closer to where he was standing to see if the shard was reacting to the part that he held. Link's Triforce seemed to have led him to where the shard was but, since the shard is incomplete, it does not have the power to respond to the presence of another part. Link picked up the small shard and examined it carefully; the expression on his face suggesting that he found both the weight of it and it's lack of shine strange. However, it looked as if he dismissed this thought as he pocketed the shard and headed out of the woods, towards Hyrule Field.

Tired of hiding in the shadows, I jumped from the tree at the entrance to Kakariko Village just as Link approached it, startling him. The Hero complained that I scared him half to death. Unknown to him, I was grinning broadly beneith my mask and he continued to mutter the entire way as we returned to the Shadow Temple.

* * *

When we arrived back in the temple, Dark Link was waiting for us. As I handed the shard over to him, I noticed that Dark Link and Sheik exchanged significant glances as if they were hesitant to tell me what the shard was for. It was Sheik who spoke up first. 

"This shard should be recognisable to you, since you are one of those chosen by destiny." he said, holding the shard up so I could see it clearly, "It is not only you, the princess and the Gerudo King, Ganondorf who hold the power of the Godesses. In order to stop Ganondorf from ever claiming her Triforce piece, Princess Zelda split the Triforce of Wisdom into eight shards. However, because I was a part of Princess Zelda's mind, I held a tiny fragment of Wisdom - one of the shards remained mine when I seperated from the princess." he paused and raised his right fist, showing me the mark on his skin: a very small triangle which was eminating a faint glow. I stared at the mark and realised what Sheik and Dark Link wanted from me. If they were collecting the shards of Wisdom, then surely they would try to gain the Triforce of Courage. I backed away quickly, remembering what Zelda had told me: The only way to extract a Triforce piece forcefully from it's rightful bearer was to seriously maim or kill them.

"You misunderstand us, Hero" Dark Link said as I backed away from them, "We do not intend to kill you. The Triforce has the power to grant the wish of the one who summons it, so it can grant us a proper existence. Now only the largest piece of the Triforce of Wisdom remains: the shard that still resides in Zelda's body."

"You're planning on killing her so you can steal her piece of the Triforce?! Why should I help you?!" I shout, hardly caring that I had enraged both Dark Link and Sheik.

"You're a fool, Hero." Dark Link began angrily, "You're not angry that your memory was erased? She cost you seven years of your life because of her stupidity and then sent you back to the past you hated!" he roared. "Do you want to be burdened with being the hero of the land you hardly belong to?! The Godesses bound you to Hyrule and to the others chosen by destiny. Do you want your fate to be predetermined?!"

"There are other ways of acquiring Zelda's Triforce part than by forcefully taking it from her." Sheik stated calmly, "The bearers can give away their Triforce piece willingly. We could challenge her to a test of some sort. If she loses, she gives us the shard that she still holds: if she wins, we give her all the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom that we have collected, including mine."

"Why should I give you the Triforce of Courage? How will that benefit me?" I ask, carefully watching Dark Link and Sheik for a response.

"The Triforce can give you freedom from the life you once led. You would no longer be bound to the fate of Hyrule, forever being called upon by the Godesses to banish evil. Your legend could be told." Sheik said simply.

I carefully thought about my options before I chose to help them. We decided that it would be easier to collect the last remaining shard of Wisdom, before trying to acquire the Triforce of Power from deep within the Evil Realm, so we left the temple and headed in the direction of Hyrule Castle.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: Feedback is appreciated, so review please. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda

Shadow Hylian: Yes, I know it's been quite a while since I updated last but, I found this chapter quite difficult to write. I'd like to point out that Zelda does not remember any of the event in the previous timeline, as the Godesses erased the knowledge of the events from the entire land. Therefore, she does not know of Sheik or who he truly is.

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

* * *

Chapter 6

Link peered around the corner towards the large entrance gate to the castle. Hyrule Castle was magnificent: three turrets the large watchtowers, in their elevated position, acted as a vantage point to any approaching Castle Town. Link glanced quickly at the Hylian guard who was stationed at the gate and carried a heavy and deadly-looking spear. The castle's perimeter was made up of a stone wall, a tall iron fence atop it. The castle's hilltop position combined with the guards stationed at regular intervals across the gardens meant that the castle was as heavily protected as Link had expected it to be.

"How are we going to get past the guard?" Link said turning towards Dark Link and Sheik.

"It's not difficult, Hero. The castle looks heavily protected, but it's easy to bypass the security - the guards are incompetent." Dark Link sneered, then stared at Link expectantly as if he was waiting on him.

"What?" Link asked, having no idea why his evil-side was glaring at him impatiently.

"You've manged to break into the castle before. If the Godesses hadn't decided to give you instant amnesia you might have been helpful!" Dark Link snapped, his tolerance evidently wavering.

"See the vines?" he said, pointing them out in a very disdainful manner. "They're strong enough to hold our weight, so get climbing." Dark Link comanded and began to climb his way up the embankment, motioning for Link and Sheik to follow once he had reached the top.

They crept quietly along the verge and past the stone wall surrounding the gate, eased themselves over the edge of the wall and landed silently on the other end of the gate. Dark Link glanced at the castle grounds, then turned towards the others.

"Look, the guards are stationed across the grounds at intervals of about ten to fifteen feet. If we avoid them and walk quietly, then they won't notice us." he said, beginning to walk carefully along the path towards the castle. They approached the castle drawbridge and, after stating that the only way to get past the two guards stationed at the drawbridge was to swim across the moat, Dark Link took the oppurtunity to shove both Link and Sheik head-first into it, before diving in himself and swimming to the left side of the castle where it was less heavily guarded. As he climbed out of the moat, Dark Link saw that the heavy metal door was locked, just as it had been when Link had infiltrated the castle. That meant the only way into the castle was to crawl through the small storm drainer, but all three of them were far too big to fit through the gap. Dark Link looked around 'There's definitely no other way into the castle. Sheik and I would be able to flitt through the walls, but Link can't get in.' he thought as he looked towards his companions, 'If I can flitt through the wall, into the castle...I might be able to open that door'.

"I might be able to find a way into the castle by flitting through the wall, so stay here." Dark Link spoke up, walking over to the wall and placing a shadowy hand onto the cold stone and slowly pushing his hand through it, followed by the rest of his body which disappeared from sight behind the wall. Five minutes or so later, Dark Link opened the metal door to their right and beckoned Link and Sheik into the castle; a distinct smirk on his face.

* * *

After navigating the maze-like gardens of the castle, they had come across the courtyard. The Princess Zelda sat on the stone steps reading ancient manuscripts, an expression of deep concentration on her face, beneath the acrched window that overlooks the main chamber of the castle. 

"We meet again" a voice spoke from the entrance to the courtyard.

Princess Zelda looked up sharply, and was about to alert the guards to the intruders before she saw Link. Her expression changed quickly from surprise to curiosity as she wondered why Link had returned to the castle after managing to escape the dungeons.

"It might be a good idea to get the castle's security tightened, Princess." Dark Link spoke in a mock-concerned voice, "That's the second time I was able to sneak in.". Zelda looked towards him evidently cofusedly and uneasily, before shifting her attention to Sheik, whose expression had hardened, anger and great dislike barely concealed as he struggled to retain the neutral expression he usually wore.

"We have been collecting the shards of the shattered Triforce of Wisdom and now we only need the piece that you still hold." Sheik said, attempting to keep his voice neutral and non-threatening, "We mean you no harm, but we must gain your part."

"Why do you want the Triforce of Wisdom? You're attempting to summon the Triforce, aren't you?" Zelda spoke in a worried voice.

"As you may have realised, Dark Link and I exist as shadows. Dark Link is the shadow of the Hero, and I am a portion of a soul. We are searching for the Triforce to return to a true existence and physical form. This is the sole reason why we are searching for the Sacred Triangle."

"How are you planning on stealing the fragment of Wisdom?" the Princess asked, an anxious expresssion on her face.

"Well, we have a proposition for you. A test of Wisdom is a fitting challenge for the last remaining piece, don't you think?" Dark Link spoke evenly.

"What sort of test?" she asked quickly

"I had an idea..." Sheik began as he pulled out his lyre and gently strumming it. "Since we both posess great wisdom, let's see who is the most suited bearer of Wisdom. We'll each come up with a riddle that the other must answer, whoever is deemed the most astute wins. If I win, you give me your shard. If you win, I'll give you our shards and we'll stop looking for the Triforce." Sheik said evenly, oblivious to Dark Link's stony face and deadly expression.

"Okay, that sounds like a fair deal." Zelda spoke slightly hesitantly, "I agree to the challenge."

"Well, since we do not have time to spare, let's begin." Sheik said quickly, "Princess, you may go first."

(An hour or so later...)

The sun was beginning to set and twilight began to fall in the courtyard.Link and Dark Link sat at the far edge of the courtyard with a disgruntled expression on their faces. In addition to his stony expression, Dark Link had also developed a convulsive twitch in his right eye, which was the result of being exposed to hours of extensive lyre-playing. After many attempts, Sheik had managed to defeat the Princess Zelda in a battle of wisdom, who happily declared Sheik as the winner.

"I temporarily bestow the power of the Godesses that I am gifted with freely to the one who has defeated me." she said and held out her right hand, turning it palm up as she summoned the last piece of the Triforce of Wisdom that resided in her soul. A bright glow emanated from her palm as the tiny fragment floated through her hand and balanced in mid air and revolving slightly on her out stretched hand. Sheik took the shard from her, placing it next to the rest of the fragments the he held in his right hand, which began to resonate and glow as the shards began to re-form. Each piece of Wisdom rose slowly, hovering a foot above Sheik's hand and, with a blinding flash of golden light, the shards re-formed the Triforce of Wisdom, returning the piece to its former state. The Triforce of Wisdom revolved slowly in the air above Sheik's hand for several seconds before sinking through his skin, into his hand and, as he turned his hand over, A Triforce symbol appeared on the back of his hand, the bottom left triangle of the symbol glowing brightly.

"You are the temporary holder of the Triforce of Wisdom which means that, once you have had your wish granted, The Triforce of Wisdom will return to me." Zelda explained.

"Thank you for you generosity, Princess." Sheik said stiffly; he still held some grudges against the Royal Family but was prepared to let some of these grudges go since the princess had helped them. He withdrew a Deku nut from the pouch on his belt and called Link and Dark Link over so that he could teleport them out of the castle to the temple. The Princess looked as if she was about to start questioning them as Sheik prepared to teleport to the Temple of Time but, before she had the chance to question them further about their identities, Sheik slammed the Deku nut to the ground and vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

The Temple of Time was completely empty; light shone through the high windows, illuminating the marble floor, the Song of Time playing softly in the background. Link, Dark Link and Sheik walked across the hard floor, their footsteps echoing loudly as they approached the spiritual stone pedestal. As Link examined the three orbs that were placed on the pedestal and read the inscription, he distinctly heard Dark Link muttering bitterly. It seemed that Link's darker side was not overjoyed about being back in the temple. 

"Can you really blame me for hating this place? Seven years I had to hide in the shadows of the Master Sword chamber!" Dark Link roared angrily at Sheik, who had most unwisely told him to shut up. Furthermore, the Sheikah didn't seem to notice that Dark Link was glaring at him aggressively as he pulled out his lyre and began to play.

"We need not stay in the temple any longer than is necessary" Sheik mused, absently strumming the lyre as he spoke. "Seven years lost to dwelling on the past is ill-advised and foolish. Do not lose yourself in the past." he said, the hint of a warning present in his voice. Link, who had been listening to Sheik playing for several minutes, turned to face Dark Link and Sheik, when he stopped playing abruptly.

"Thank the Godesses" Dark Link spoke sarcastically, not troubling to keep his voice low and clearly did not realise that something was wrong.

"Sheik, look at your arms" Link said sharply, pointing at Sheik's forearms that seemed to be fading away, almost as if they were disintegrating. It was like his shadow was becoming weaker and less concentrated.

"The sun: it's draining our strength. The glass windows are magnifying the sun's intensity" Sheik said unbelievably as he cast a worried look to Dark Link and around the temple, "We need to open the Door of Time; that's the only place where it is dark enough for myself and Dark Link to survive. If we stay here much longer, we'll die."

"You're such an idiot, Link! It's all your fault!" Dark Link yelled at his less-evil side. Link opened his mouth to retort, but Sheik spoke up loudly, silencing Link and his shadow.

"Link, you'll need the Ocarina of Time to open the door. Stand at the Spiritaul Stone pedestal and play this song" Sheik said, strumming the Song of Time slowly and clearly so that Link would be able to follow the notes he was playing. Link did as he was instructed, and played the ethereal, slightly haunting song. The Triforce symbol that was engraved above the doorway glowed a bright golden hue as the Door of Time split apart revealing the darkened chamber, a single shaft of light in the middle of the room where it illuminated the hilt of the Blade of Evil's Bane: the Master Sword.

Link stood, transfixed by the magnificent sword as fragments of lost memories awakened in his mind. Sheik walked through the archway absently into the shadows of the chamber, while Dark Link followed reluctantly. However, Dark Link realised that Link was approaching the Master Sword pedestal and moved over towards him. Dark Link noticed the frown on Link's face; the mixed expression of familiarity, confusion and uncertainty.

"Link..." Dark Link spoke gently; behind his scarlet eyes, Dark Link couldn't help but empathise with the hero. In fact, Dark Link surprised himself with how...nice he could be. But it was unsurprising really, since Link is technically the same person.

"I...remember...this sword." Link said, reaching out a hand to touch the hilt of the sacred blade.

"This was the sword that you used to defeat Ganondorf, the King of Evil, seven years ago. Before time was reversed, you replaced the Master Sword in its pedestal so that it could be wielded again when evil returned to the land." Dark Link stated evenly, but Link did not seem to be listening. He tore his gaze from the blade and moved over to the wall of the chamber, which he leant against as he sat on the marble floor.

* * *

(A few hours later...) 

Dark Link shifted his gaze towards his comrades; He focused on Sheik, who sat leaning against the wall of the chamber. The usually neutral expression he wore, was now hardened; his visible red eye narrowed and his brow knitted in deep concentration, his gaze fixed on a random area on the marble floor. As Dark Link looked towards his other side, he noticed that Link was also slumped against the wall, his eyes vacant and expressionless. Sheik and Link had both felt the reprecussions of the past: both of their lives had been destroyed by Zelda and the Godesses.

He was the only one that was not directly affected by the time reversal. After all, Dark Link wasn't even human; he was merely the Hero's hate and anger given human form. 'Maybe that is why I desire a true exsistence?' Dark Link thought to himself as he continued to watch Link. When he had followed Link on his perilous journey and saw Link get badly injured in battle, it made him wonder what pain felt like.

"How long do you think it'll take for us to return to our original strength?" Dark Link asked Sheik quickly, unable to withstand the silence that had seemed to stretch indefinitely.

"Well, had lost about a third of our powers" Sheik replied while carefully examining the back of his right hand, checking his outline, "We've been here for about four hours" he continued looking towards the high window; the sky outside tainted a bright orange as the sun began to set. "We'll need about...three more hours for us to return to full power."

"Brilliant" Dark Link huffed irritably, "That's all we need, to get held up for another three hours" he continued to shout, but Dark Link noticed that Link had again walked over to the Master sword pedestal, this time clasping his hand over the handle.

"Link, leave the sword where it is" Dark Link spoke sharply, "It's the final key to the gates of the Evil Realm, so it must not be removed until we have recovered our strength." Link loosened his grip on the Master Sword, before speaking.

"Why do I feel as if this sword...belongs to me?" Link asked,

"The Master Sword can only be wielded by the true hero. Only the one who the blade accepts can remove it from it's pedestal. This is the sword you used to defeat Ganondorf, the King of Evil, seven years ago. You are the master of the sword, so to speak." Dark Link explained simply

Link turned from the Master Sword sharply to face his shadow. "If your the shadow of me, aren't you the sword's master as well?" he shot in an accusing tone. Dark Link narrowed his blood-red eyes as he answered, trying to keep the quaking anger that had flared hidden from his voice.

"The Master Sword is the sword that evil ones may never touch." he said in a slightly muffled voice barely concealing his rage, "It will destroy me if I so much as touch it."

Dark Link had noticed that Link's expression had changed slightly when he had spoke and was certain of the reason that Link now watched him carefully. "Just because I am the vessel of your cast-off malevolent emotions, it doesn't mean that I am a truly evil being, Hero. I am only as evil as you can become." Dark Link said carefully, "If it is the truth that you seek, then you should at least know the truth about yourself." he continued, his voice growing louder as he began to lose control of his anger. "During your seven-year sleep in the Sacred Realm, the crystal that you were encased in was designed to extract all the emotions and qualities that the Hero was not meant to posess as you matured into an adult.", as Dark Link spoke, Link became aware of the colossal anger and hate that seemed to burn from behind Dark Link's scarlet eyes. "The Godesses cherry-picked all of your undesireable qualities and emotions and housed them in a human-like shadowy form of the Hero!" Dark Link spat furiously at Link, who recoiled sharply from him.

"Instead of containing me in the void between dimensions where I would not be able to escape, the Godesses placed me in the illusion room of the Water Temple. They hoped that you would believe that I was only a mirage that Ganondorf had conjured and not the vessel of your darkest emotions. To face the dark side of your character was the Godesses final challenge to test if you truly were the Hero from the legends!"

"Now is not the time to quarrel" Sheik spoke up loudly, "We have nearly recovered our full strength: it is time to open the gate to the Evil Realm and step into the infinite darkness of a world corupted by terrible power. Link, remove the Master sword." he said, motioning towards the sword. Link walked over to the pedestal, closed his left hand around the handle of the legendary sword and pulled it out carefully. A blue light streamed down from the ceiling in a octagonal column, enclosing Link, Dark Link and Sheik in the raised pedestal and forming a crystal. A blinding flash of white light shot down from within the column teleporting the crystal to the gates of the Evil realm.

As the crystal disintegrated and Link, Dark Link and Sheik stepped through the ancient gates that had once protected the land that was said to be a paradise, they now stood in the desolate and corrupt land known as the Dark World.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: I just thought I'd point out that it might take a while for me to upload the next chapter. Review are very much appreciated and feedback on this chapter would be helpful. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda.

Shadow Hylian: Sorry I took so long updating. Blame writer's block. It took me ages to write this, mainly because I had difficulty describing the Dark World accurately. Hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long updating. I'm keen to get the fic finished because I'm planning a sequel! Only two more chapters until the end.

On another note, the quotations that I used are from ALTTP.

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"'Quotation'"

* * *

Chapter 7

As they stepped into the Dark World, Link, Dark Link and Sheik they saw the damage that pure evil had on the Sacred Realm. No sun shined in this realm; instead the only source of light was the Light Temple itself, which glowed dully through the darkness, a tiny illumination at the very heart of the corrupt land. The ground they stood on was scarred and burned, deep cracks ran across the dried earth and only the charred skeletons of dead trees that once flourished here remained. A dense fog hung over the realm lingering close to the ground, coiling around the trees and reducing the already low visibility. The sky was tinged a violent purple with navy and crimson streaks swirling among the darkness. In the centre of the sky, directly above the Light Temple, was the shadow of the Triforce: the inverted state of the Sacred Triangle, the void in the middle of the Triforce an endless black and only the outline of the true Triforce remaining. The realm was twisted and warped out of shape, even the Triforce had been distorted out of its true form. As Link, Dark Link and Sheik looked upon the distant Light Temple, they headed in the direction of its aura, hoping to begin their search for the Evil King in the temple that was once the last stronghold against Ganondorf's assault of the Sacred Realm.

"'In a realm beyong sight,

The sky shines gold, not blue,

There, the Triforce's might,

Makes mortal dreams come true.'" Sheik spoke as they looked across the plains of the Dark World.

"In case you haven't noticed, the sky here is neither gold nor blue. At least put your wisdom to some use." Dark Link said angrily.

"It was gold once, before Ganondorf invaded this realm. But this is the realm's inverted state known as the Dark World." Sheik said evenly.

"That verse you recited, what was it?" Link asked.

"It is from the Book of Mudora. The Book of Hylian Legends that describes the Sacred Realm before Ganondorf attacked this world. The book often told of the Sacred Triangle, the Triforce, and of what happened to the people, consumed by greed, who sought it."

"What? What do you mean? What happened to them?" Link asked Shiek quickly, but it was Dark Link who answered.

"They turn into monsters." he stated plainly, "Blinded by their greed and desire for the Sacred Triangle, they walked through a cursed portal to this realm. The realm reflects the heart of the one who enters it, so they were transformed into foul beasts."

"Why didn't they realise that it was cursed?" Link asked slowly, "Didn't they know this would happen?"

"The lure of the Triforce's power would corrupt any mortal soul." Dark Link said, "The legends just amplified their greed."

"The book also told of the Sacred Realm that the Triforce resided in, and that too would corrupt." Sheik added evenly, "It was said that: 'Before these Goddesses travelled onward to create anew their masterwork, they bestowed a manifestation of their essence within a sacred artefact known as the Triforce; an object that would be sought by many and attained only by one. The Triforce took its place within its heavenly annex within a Sacred Realm where the spirits roam free. And so began the Odessy of Hyrule.'" he stated.

"I see what you mean..." Link spoke up, "The lure of its power would make anyone seek it."

* * *

After wandering blindly through the infinite Dark World, Link, Dark Link and Sheik realised that they were not getting any closer to the temple. It seemed as if they had been wandering aimlessly through the realm without realising that they were not making any porgress. 

"Why aren't we getting any closer to the centre?" Link asked the others frustratedly.

"It must be part of this realm's magic." Sheik spoke, "But there will be some way around this. I expect it is a defense mechanism to protect the Triforce."

"There is definetly something wrong here." Link stated, "I don't know whether its the air in this realm, but I don't feel so good."

"Its probably your imagination." Dark Link said dismissively, "But...I'm sure that I've been here before." he said hesitantly.

"What do you mean you've been here before?" Link asked quickly.

"After you're evil and dark emotions were removed and I was created from them, I was not immediately imprisoned in the Water Temple. Before the Goddesses decided to use me as your final test to prove that you are the Hero of Time, I lived in the Dark World." he said evenly, carefully judging how much of his tale he should tell. "After the third year of your stasis, I was transported to the Hylian realm and was bound in the Water Temple where I learned swordplay and waited for your arrival so that I could defeat you. I wandered across the realm for three years, never knowing whether I was nearing the Golden Gate to the Hylian realm or merely walking in circles."

"You lived here? The Dark World?" Link asked.

"Don't sound so surprised, Hero. After all, I am your dark side." Dark Link spoke. He paused for a moment before continuing to speak, "However, the time that I spent wandering the Dark World has proved useful. I remember this area we are in, it was one of the areas that I seemed to be trapped in, so I should be able to guide you to the Light Temple."

"What do you mean areas?" the Sheikah spoke up quickly, "How exactly is this realm divided?"

"Think of this realm as being the shape of the inverted Sacred Triangle. The Golden Gate, which we stepped through, looks out onto the tip of the Power region and then extends in the shape of the Triforce. The void region, the heart of this realm where the Light Temple is situated is where we must travel towards. However, this is the region that is the most corrupt since it is the place most affected by the evil present in this world. The Courage region is to the left of the Power region border, and the Wisdom region is to the right. Complex paths that regularly split in different directions are found around the borders of each region, these confuse those who tread in this realm so that they soon lose sight of the Golden Gate that they stepped through and they wander endlessly in the Dark World. As an additional safeguard, there is a magical teleportation that transports any who wanders too close to their true path and sends them in the opposite direction that they are intending to go."

"So you mean that this place is like a labyrinth that does its best to confuse us, and sends us in the wrong direction when we get too close to the centre?" Link asked.

"Yes, Hero. But I think you'll find that its more complicated than that as we journey." Dark Link replied vaguely.

"What differs between each region? You say that they are the Power, Wisdom and Courage regions, why are they named this?" Sheik asked sharply.

"The Power region represents the Godess Din and fire; The Wisdom region represents the Godess Nayru and water, and the Courage region represents the Godess Farore and forests." Dark Link spoke, "Each region is also governed by the Triforce part that they are named after." he said absently, implying that he really didn't care very much.

"What region are we currently in?" Link spoke, "And how far is it until we reach the region's border?"

"...We should be approaching the border of the Power region. The only reason why we havent been sent in the wrong direction so far is because we have a Sheikah travelling with us. The Sheikah's red eyes can see the truth, so they can see through traps and illusions." Dark link explained.

"But nothing seems to be false or out of place." Sheik spoke, "I can't see anything wrong or any traps."

"That's because you weren't aware of it until now." Dark Link spoke, "You were avoiding the dangers subconsciously, guiding us away from them." he said before pausing, "If you lead us directly towards the Void region, then we should be able to pass into that region without being transported to another area."

As instructed, Sheik walked forward, taking the lead. Link and Dark Link followed him as he chose the path that they should follow at every fork in the dirt path. After a short time, they came across the border of the Power region. They looked in front of them, to the beginning of the Void region and saw a noxious-looking purple haze drifting through the air, but it did not spread into the area that Link, Sheik and Dark Link were currrently standing in. Hesitating slightly, Sheik stepped forward over the border and into the Void region with Link and Dark Link following him.

* * *

Almost as soon as they as they stepped into the Void region at the heart of the Dark World, Sheik knew that something wasn't quite right. As he breathed in the poisionous mist that infected this region, pain shot through his body and his conscious mind became hazy. Looking at his companions, he saw that they, also were being affected by the gas clouds and were clutching their heads in agony as the fumes disrupted their minds. The mist seemed to be draining their energy as well, as Sheik felt weakened and he realised that this must be another of the defensive mechanisms that would stop intruders from reaching the Light Temple. 

"Link, Dark Link," Sheik called, "The gas affects our conscious mind. If we hurry to the Light temple, then the effects should wear off." he stated, pointing towards the Light Temple that was about a mile away. Link and Dark Link did not reply. Frowing, he turned to face them and saw that they had drawn their swords.

"Link, Dark Link what do you think you're doing?" Sheik said, "We can't waste time." he spoke, as his companions advanced upon him. As he looked closer, he saw that their eyes were blank and glazed. They were not acting consciously, the fumes had taken control of their mind. Link and Dark Link charged towards him with a snarl, brandishing their swords.

'Why am I not being affected?' Sheik thought, but instantly realised why. His eyes could see through deception, which meant that the gas clouds had no affect on his mind. Link and Dark Link had no control over their actions, so it would be immpossible to stop them. Sheik quickly looked towards the Light Temple, a plan forming in his mind. If he could get them into the protection zone of the Light Temple, then the effects of the poisinous gas would lift. He quickly had an idea, and pulled out a Deku nut from his equipment pouch and slammed it to the grounbd infront of Link and Dark Link, provoking them into a blind rage. With a angry snarl, Link and dark Link bolted towards the Sheikah, who hastily ran in the direction of the temple.

As Sheik led them to the Light Temple, the effects of the gas seemed to lift and Link and Dark Link regained the control of their minds and looked around confusedly, re-sheathing their swords.

"What happened?" Link asked Sheik dazedly.

"Oh, just mind control." he replied vaguely as they stood before the shining Light Temple that seemed to emanate a faint glow from the very stone that it was made from. The temple was at least three floors high, a large ornate archway with a glowing Triforce symbol placed at the centre. They paused for a moment, admiring the beautifully constructed buiding before stepping through the doors and into the temple.

* * *

Shadow Hylian: If you don't understand about the Power, Wisdom and courage regions, just think of an upside down Triforce. Feedback is very much appreciated, so review please. 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda.

Shadow Hylian: This is the final chapter. I know that it has been a long wait, but at long last, here's the last chapter. Enjoy!

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

* * *

Chapter 8

The moment they stepped into the Light Temple, they were almost blinded by its aura. The temple radiated a bright glow from the very marble that it was built from, giving the impression of strong magical power within the building.

"Wow, its so bright in here." Link spoke, " Where is the light coming from?" he asked.

"It is part of this realm's magic. We are in the very heart of the Sacred Realm, in the building that was once said to house the Triforce." Sheik replied, " But the intensity of the light means that Dark Link and I are in danger, since we are both shadows. We'll need to hurry if we intend to steal the Triforce of Power from the Evil King."

"You decided to mention this now? When we've been standing here getting vaporised?!" Dark Link shouted at the Sheikah, "Come on, get moving." he spoke to his counterpart, who hastily stepped out of his way. They walked deeper into the temple, and as they did so, they realised that the Light Temple mirrored the Temple of Time. The placement of the pedestal, the shape of the room, everything was the same as the Time Temple in the Hylian realm.

"The Light World is parallel to the Hylian realm." Sheik spoke, "The Light Temple is in the same place and takes the same form as the Time Temple. They are technically the same place, but in different dimensions." he said.

"So what would be in the equivalent Master Sword Chamber?" Link asked, though he felt certain that he knew what the answer would be.

"The Master Sword Chamber in the Time Temple is Ganondorf's prison in the Light Temple." Sheik spoke.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense." Link said, "Being imprisoned by the very force that he despises is probably the most effective way of containing him in the Dark World."

"That is not the only measure that has been taken to contain him. Between the Light Prison and this room is a powerful rift through dimensions that is known as the void. If he becomes strong enough to break out of his prison, he will be pulled into the void and will die." Sheik said, "The void acts as a barrier in the same way as the Door of Time deterred anyone from reaching the gate to the Sacred Realm. In fact, the void is exactly where the Door of Time would be in the Hylian realm." he stated.

"So how are we going to steal the Triforce of Power from Ganondorf? He's hardly going to just give it to use, is he?" Dark Link said.

"..."

"We cannot cross the void to gain access to Ganondorf's prison, which means that we cannot get close enough to engage in combat." Sheik spoke.

"We kind of figured that, Sheikah." Dark Link snapped.

"...So it's a good thing that I brought along these." Sheik continued as though there had been no interruption and held out a bundle of golden arrows that glowed and radiated a bright light. "Light Arrows. The only weapon, aside from the Master Sword, that can wound the Evil King severely enough to allow us to take the Triforce of Power from him." the Sheikah spoke. "Apparently they are powered by 'Divine Justice' that penetrates evil."

"Why are we only stunning him? Why don't we just kill him and get it over with." Dark Link asked sharply.

"Knowing my luck, he'd probably be re-incarnated or something..." Link muttered under his breath.

"Exactly, Hero. If the Evil King were to be killed, it is likely that he would be re-born. If he is kept alive inside this inescapable prison for all eternity, then the Sages can keep watch over the seal and Hyrule will remain safe as the Evil King is locked away in one place throughout time."

"That's the theory, anyway. What if it doesn't work? And what are we supposed to do anyway, stand here and fire arrows at him?"

"It will work." Sheik spoke, ignoring the rest of the question. "Here." he said, handing over the arrows to Link. "Oh, and you'll need this too." holding up the Fairy Bow for the Hero to take.

"When did you get that?" Dark Link asked.

"Well, one of the Triforce shards were hidden in the Lost Woods and...I thought that the Hero might need it." the Sheikah spoke mysteriously.

"You raided the Forest Temple, didn't you?" Dark Link asked.

"No. I just...borrowed it for a while. Anyway, I thought it might come in useful at some point and since no one else would be needing it, I just took it."

The Hero took the Fairy Bow from the Sheikah and loaded a Light arrow into the weapon as he, Dark Link and Sheik approached the barred prison where the King of Evil was secured.

-------

As they stepped in front of the bars of the cell, looking into the darkness beyond the steel door, they could hear the faint sound of chains clanking as the Evil King stirred. Amber eyes spilling over with murderous intent glowed in the blackness and locked onto the adventurers.

"It's been quite a while, boy." a deep voice filled with malice spoke from within the prison. "And it seems that you are not alone this time...The Sheikah alter-ego of the Princess, who now holds Wisdom in his hand...and the human form of the Hero of Time's hatred, the shadow who was trapped in the Water Temple..." the imprisoned King of Evil spoke. All three of the adventurers tensed at this statement, wary of the fact that Ganondorf was conscious.

A dull scraping noise was heard as the inhumane, bestial form of the Gerudo King stepped towards the bars to the cell before the void and lowering his horned head as his blank pupil-less eyes blinked slowly.

"Hero." Sheik whispered, motioning for Link to use the Light Arrows.

"Ganondorf, we require your Triforce of Power. You are in no position to refuse, so give up your piece of the Sacred Triangle and we will not need to fight." Link spoke, the Fairy Bow held aloft and ready to fire as he spoke. The King of Evil just laughed at this statement, the sound echoing through the large chamber making the insane laughter seem louder and more intimidating.

"You think that I would give up my Power so easily, boy?" the Gerudo sneered, "How naive. You cannot cross the void into this retched prison and I cannot escape without dying. You cannot kill me from where you stand." Ganondorf proclaimed.

"Link move!" Sheik called out, slamming a Deku Nut to the ground as he spoke, a bright light flashing as the device made contact with the ground, which blinded the Evil King for a few moments, allowing the adventurers to attack. Link drew back an arrow, aimed carefully and released the Light Arrow.

But it missed, striking against the bars with a loud clang and bathing the metal in a patch of golden light.

"Give me that!" Dark Link shouted, snatching the Fairy Bow from the Hero of Time's grip and drawing back another arrow. This time the Light Arrow found its mark, striking the Evil King between the eyes and the Gerudo recoiled as the arrow's pure light scorched his skin.

The Evil King roared angrily, the sound feral and inhumane as he began to recover from the attack. Again, the Sheikah used the Deku Nuts to blind Ganondorf before Dark Link attacked with the Light Arrows, and Link pulled out his Slingshot to aid his comrades in the assault, aiming towards the Evil King's eyes so that Dark Link would be able to aim more carefully at the beast's head.

The adventurer's repeated this assault over and over, inflicting the Evil King with the Light Arrows that corroded the Gerudo's Darkness with the arrow's power. As the arrows continued to find their mark, Ganondorf began to weaken and his movements became slower as the Light Arrows magic began to take effect, acting as a poison to the Gerudo and the King of Evil collapsed to the ground.

-------

As the King of Evil was defeated, a golden light flashed from the Gerudo's right fist as the Triforce of Power separated from its bearer. The Triangle hovered in the air for a moment, revolving slowly, before spinning towards Dark Link, who still had the Fairy Bow held aloft in case of a further attack.

As he lowered the bow, the Triforce of Power levitated in front of the Shadow of the Hero, recognising Dark Link as the one who now rightfully owned the essence of the Goddesses.

"Dark Link, raise your dominant hand." Sheik instructed and the Shadow of the Hero raised his left hand into the air. The Triforce still revolved for a moment, before descending towards the shadow's fist and sinking into the back of his left hand, his obsidian skin glowing brightly for a moment before the Triforce crest appeared on the back of his hand like a tattoo.

"That's weird." Dark Link commented as he examined the mark that he now bore.

"Come on, we must get to the top of the tower to call the Triforce." the Sheikah spoke and he, Link and Dark Link made their was up the high, very steep spiral staircase towards the top level of the Light Temple.

After climbing to the top of the staircase, Link, Dark Link and Sheik stepped out onto the flat surface at the very top of the Light Temple's tower that overlooked the whole of the Dark World. As they looked towards the heavens, they saw that they were standing directly beneath the inverted form of the Sacred Triangle.

A ethereal glow started to shine from the Triforce crests that the three companions bore on the backs of their hands, the Triforce piece that they possessed glowing the most brightly.

"Our Triforce parts are resonating...The Triforce is combining into one again." Sheik spoke. "Raise the hand with the crest." he instructed, lifting his right hand and Link and Dark Link mimicked him, raising their left hands.

The light intensified as each of the three parts of the Triforce materialised from the backs of the bearer's hands, raising high into the blackened sky and combined in a blinding flash of golden light. The glare was so strong that Link, Dark Link and Sheik had to shield their eyes from the glow.

As their eyes adjusted to the brightness, they saw the Sacred Triangle, the complete form of the Triforce descend spinning slowly to the ground, where it hovered in mid air. The three companions could hear a faint, soft voice speaking into their ears gently.

"Forger of Strength...Keeper of Wisdom...Juror of Courage. If thou has a strong dream or desire...then wish for it."

"W-who is that?!" Link asked warily, stepping away from the object of absolute power before him.

"I think it is the essence of the Triforce. It is telling us to make our wish." Sheik spoke

"We will grant the wishes in the heart and mind of the person who touches it...The golden power of the Triforce is in your hands. Forger of Strength...Keeper of Wisdom...Juror of Courage...touch the Triforce with a wish in your heart..."

The three companions hesitated for a moment, before placing their hands on the Sacred Triangle; Link's hand placed over Courage; Dark Link touching Power and Sheik placing his hand over Wisdom, each wishing their heart's desires.

A moment passed, little more than a heartbeat in which the Triforce glowed beneath their touch before the Sacred Triangle raised above their heads revolving slowly. The Triforce split into three and dispersed over the Golden Land in a flash of blinding white light, tearing away the darkness that was tainting the land and restoring the Sacred Realm to a paradise once again.

Almost immediately, Link, Dark Link and Sheik were encased in a magical blue crystal and light flashed from within it, blinding the companions as their wishes were taken into effect. After a few moments, the prisms began to fade away.

As the Hero of Time's prism disintegrated, his memories of his past life were restored.

The Sheikah messenger's prism disappeared as Sheik's wish for a proper entity was granted.

As the Shadow of the Hero's prism faded away, Dark Link was now the mirror image of the Hero of Time with jet-black hair, pale, almost deathly-looking ashen skin and blood-red eyes brimming with malice. The three adventurer's looked around warily, Dark Link examining his new physical being. A few moments passed in silence before one of the companions spoke up.

"So...what do we do now?" Link asked as though nothing had happened. Now that he had his memories restored, he did not like the idea of staying in Hyrule to be used as pawn like he had been in the Imprisoning War. "Somehow, I get the impression that we wouldn't be welcome at the Castle if Zelda knew that my memories had been restored."

"I suppose that we are something like outcasts now. Staying in Hyrule would be an unwise move." the Sheikah stated.

"Well..." Dark Link spoke, "I hear Termina's nice at this time of year."

End

* * *

Shadow Hylian: Id like to say thank you to all the people who reviewed this fic, as the feedback has proved very useful. This fic already has a sequel "Three Links and a Sheikah" which charts what happens after this fic, and if you liked this fic it would be nice if you could check out Three Links and tell me what you think of it. 

Thank you once again for the reviews.

Sincerely, Shadow Hylian.


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